1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for creating a finished product and semi-finished product having at least one surface containing a plurality of alveoli; a semi-finished product produced for the implementation of the process; and the finished product obtained by the implementation of the process.
2. Description of Background and Other Information
In the production of products of the aforementioned type, the alveoli, recesses or dimples, in the surface of the rough, or pre-worked, object to be finished most often have a spherical contour whose respective junctions with the corresponding surface of the finished product, and with the surface of the rough form of the semi-finished product, has a circular contour. Significantly, an identical circular contour for all of the alveoli of the finished product is generally sought. That is, it is desired that they all have the same diameter and, preferably, the same depth with respect to the corresponding surface of the product.
To that effect, generally the alveoli of the respective rough object are generally given an identical shape, i.e., they are given the same particular contour, with the same diameter, at their junction with the corresponding rough surface on the semi-finished product, as well as an identical depth with reference to the rough surface of the semi-finished product.
Then, the rough surface is machined by grinding, sanding or polishing, i.e., in a manner that is constituted by removal of material, most often by taking the semi-finished product in hand insofar as there is no surface of reference which can be used which would permit machining with a machine tool.
The manual nature of this type of finishing has the result that a more or less significant depth of material is removed from the zones of the rough model surface, having rough forms of the alveoli, so that, depending upon whether the removal of material is carried out to a more or less significant depth, there exists on the finished product alveoli having spherical segments of variable depth and having variable diameters at the level of their circular junctions with the corresponding surface of the finished product, resulting from a more or less deep machining around the different alveoli which, initially, had been identical.
As a result of known processes for producing products having dimpled surfaces, i.e., surfaces containing recesses or alveoli, the finished products tend to have an irregular appearance which is not aesthetically appealing. In addition, there is the result that each product is aesthetically different from the others. In general, the products appear inelegant and poorly finished, whereas, on the contrary, their appearance results from a particularly careful finishing, by hand. In the case of sporting equipment, this can also result in a disadvantageous effect on the performance of such equipment.